Straight Staircases - Wooden Staircases

When it comes to ordering a new staircase most people are not aware of the number of choices and considerations that have to be taken into account. Once the sizes have been confirmed it is best left to an experienced staircase designer to assist in working out the recommended rise and going for the staircase, the reason I say this is because generally there is more than one option within the regulations for this and from past experience with leving customers to order online and use online stair design tools they all too often make decisions that are not ideal and this results in a uncomfortable staircase.

The Next step is deciding on the materials you want the staircase making from. Many people are looking for the lowest cost option but this is far from the most economical option in most cases.
Staircases constructed from the lowest cost materials will have the shortest life span.
Staircases that are not made to measure to the correct dimensions will have dangerous uneven steps at the top or the bottom and not meet building regulations.
Staircases that dont have the balustrade factory fitted will unlikely have the balustrades fitted correctly or to a quality standard.

Upgrades away from the entry level specifications dont cost a great deal, for example the cost difference between MDF Stair Treads and Timber Stair Treads is minimal on a straight staircase. and Engineered Pine over Whitewood softwood as also a worth while upgrade.

What should I be looking for ? Well many people just look at the specification, comparing specifcations between stair manufacturers in the UK doesnt really tell you if a product is like for like. There are different grades of Timber, there are different standards timber is selected to. For example Whitewood our studies show that Whitewood has around a 70% waste factor if we select the strings to an acceptable standard for Stairplan, this makes Engineered Pine more cost effective based on Waste. So why do manufacturers still use whitewood. Whitewood is one of the few timbers available in wide board sizes suitable to staircase production without the need to engineer the timber. At Stairplan we have invested heavily in our lamination plant enabling us to produce engineered pine sections in house to a high standard at a reasonable cost, other manufacturers dont have the same high standards in timber selection and dont have the same facilities to engineer their timbers. MDF there are different grades amd manufacturers of MDF .Also unless greater care is taken with an MDF staircase its lifespan is going to be shorter than that of a staircase with timber treads.

Installation - How much of the work is done for you and how much do you have to do on site . This is another area that varies between stair manufacturers, Stairplan do more than any other major staircase producer in the UK and our continued investment means more and more is getting done to make the installation easier. Little things like the Foot Cuts and The Top Cuts on the staircase can take in inexperienced installer hours to figure out but these are done on our Trade Range staircases and higher specifications. When you have stair balustrades far more of the work is prepared for you in the factory.

Should I buy a Flatpack Staircase - If its only price your looking at then No, the Option of a flatpack staircase is there for you if you cant get the staircase in its assembled form to where it needs to be installed, or for example if the staircase needs to be installed between walls.